Danielle Webb: Owner of Yatsoms
Hello, my name is Danielle Webb and I am the owner & founder of Yatsoms LLC.
Yatsoms is an acronym that means “You Are The Source Of My Strength”. This company was like a mini dream that I always wanted to pursue, but like most first time business owners, I was afraid of failure.
I decided to create this company as an outlet to share some of my handcrafted creations with others. Although I am still in the beginning stages of being an online business owner, I’ve learned a lot in the past months. One of the main lessons I’ve learned is prayer. Praying often about the direction of the business and praying through the discouragement that may come during dry seasons. Nowadays there are various opportunities on social media to just sell “Christian” merchandise, and I fear that many people get into this line of work with hopes to only be popular and/or gain notoriety. As a faith-based company, I never want to lose the human connection just for numbers or likes. When a person purchases our merchandise, I believe they are sowing a seed into our ministry. More importantly, I believe that God could use a piece that we sell to encourage somebody in their walk with Christ, and I never want to lose sight of that priority.
Being a Christian entrepreneur is very rewarding. Right now, I am the official merchandiser for my husband’s t-shirt line in a popular poetry tour called Poets in Autumn (PIA). This fall, I had the opportunity to interact with people all over, but my experience in Toronto, CN was life-changing because it showed me how far-reaching our products could be, and how somebody on the other end of the globe could be affected by the ministry.
One of the challenges of being a entrepreneur would be learning how take trends in doses. I think it is very easy to just follow what everyone is doing, but it takes courage to push into another direction and put your own twist on what you see in the Christian clothing industry. For example, I think it’s awesome to make t-shirts, and I enjoy collaborating with my husband. I also enjoy stepping into my workshop to create a warm knitted hat for a friend. For me, it’s all about finding peace in the creative process and allowing the Lord to use my gifts for His glory. Whether I am creating a logo or mailing off an embroidered jacket to a friend, I believe that finding joy in your business is a huge part of sustainability.
I would like to share some pointers for people who may being considering starting an online business
Be Inspired, but don’t copy. Find your way around the trends to make something uniquely yours.
Change is good. If you aren’t seeing some of your products sell, think about what you can do to stand out amongst the crowd. (ie, marketing, logos, social media, revamping shirt designs, etc).
Let God lead. Even if you get busy with the workload, remember who has allowed your success. Keep God at the center and be sensitive to His word.
Cultivate your creativity. Take moments to enjoy life, travel if possible to find inspiration that could help you place your company apart from the competition.
Test before you commit. I learned this the hard way by purchasing too much of a product only to not sell it! Ex: Order one or two of you favorite shirt colors instead of 100 or 500 lol!
Try Ebay. If you are considering purchasing your own website one day, try selling little things around your house new or old to help you understand the process of working with customers, shipping products, etc. Plus, you don’t have to invest much money up front!
Pray Daily. Business is full of ups and downs, which is why it is important to keep your faith at the center.
Overall, It has been a blessing to have a working faith-based online company that allows people to purchase items with a message, or drop by to request prayer. I hope that this blog will help aspiring and current business owners and to push forward this year!
God Bless
Danielle Webb, Owner
